


Psych 101

by matimae



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Headaches & Migraines, Hiding Medical Issues, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sickfic, Whump, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:01:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26965585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matimae/pseuds/matimae
Summary: TK is not sick. Nope. Definitely not. Ask anybody, and TK is DEFINITELY NOT sick.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Owen Strand & TK Strand
Comments: 7
Kudos: 108
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Psych 101

**Author's Note:**

> written for whumptober no. 11 (defiance, struggling)

“TK, you want eggs for breakfast?” Owen asked him as the morning sun streamed into their apartment.

He was shaking his head no before he could even voice a response, normally TK wouldn’t oppose to a little protein in the morning, but just the thought of eating anything was making him feel wheezy.

“No, you know, I’m not feeling breakfast today.”

“Well, I guess that leaves more for me! Just- make sure you get something before work though!” his father hollered after him, but TK was already out the door.

TK braced himself on the side of the railing, his head still spinning since the moment he had rolled out of bed.

He grimaced as he felt his own forehead.

Warm.

_Shit._

But he couldn’t be sick, he had a full day of work ahead of him. He had people counting on him.

Ignoring any signs and all discomfort he felt, TK made his way to the bus station. Typically his father and he would commute to work, but TK could use the extra time this morning to sort himself out.

…

The first thing he did at the station was book it to the bathroom.

TK’s knuckles were white as he clutched the side of the toilet, dry heaving his non existent breakfast into it. After a few minutes the intensity passed and TK slumped down onto the tile floor. Someone really should clean this place sometime...

Finally catching his breath he sluggishly made his way to the sink.

TK took two palms full of the cold water and splashed it against his face, momentarily bringing him back to reality.

He shakes his head, and takes a deep breath. See? He was fine. No need to worry anyone.

…

“You okay TK? Not looking so hot there, kid.” Owen said in concern as the team was reloading the supplies on the truck, waiting for a call.

TK knew he had to try to coast around it, give him something besides the truth. “Me? Oh, I just didn’t sleep the best last night. Nothing to worry about though. And...” he paused and walked to the coffee maker. “nothing a little caffeine won’t fix!”  
  


His dad seemed to by it.

And TK made a mental note to be more careful to hide it all better.

Not that his coworkers wouldn’t understand. Everyone got sick once in a while, just...not TK. Not now. He couldn’t. Not while his Dad was.. No, TK was _not_ sick he did _not_ have to go to the doctor and he _could_ stay at work.

…

“So, how was your day so far Carlos?” TK asked his boyfriend as they shared what little lunch break they could squeeze in between their shifts.

Carlos shrugged, “Average, I guess. Not too crazy. Not yet, at least.” he smiled. “How ‘bout you? Any action?”

“No, no-” TK couldn’t stop a cough that was rising in his throat. “Like you said ‘nothing crazy’.”

Carlos was no longer very interested in the small talk and was leaning in, brows furrowed, a look of concern plastered on his face.

So, he didn’t quite miss the cough.

“You sick?”

“What? No! I just- I just had something in my throat. I’m fine. I swear.” TK continues to try to blow it off, but is succeeding less and less.

“TK is you’re not feeling good that’s okay...” Carlos started, but TK interrupted him again.

“I’m fine! Really. But, I do have to be back at the station in 5, so we have to wrap this up sooner then later.” he said, tapping the table.

“You didn’t even touch your lunch...”

TK looked at the sandwich that Carlos had gotten him. Any other day he would have devoured it, it had his favorite sauce and everything. But today- he couldn’t even stomach the smell.

“No time. Sorry..!”

TK felt awful for leaving Carlos so abruptly like that, but he didn’t know what else to do. And he wasn’t kidding about needing to get back to the Fire Station either. He just wished that he was able to walk a little steadier.

It was getting harder and harder to hide that he wasn’t doing so well, and people were starting to notice that he was struggling.

TK glances at his watch, he just had to make it through another 4 hours and he was off home free. They hadn’t even gotten a call yet, and TK was starting to feel blessed. His slowest day in weeks, how convenient!

Just as he had the thought the alarm on the wall started to ring, it’s blaring noise set off TK’s migraine, and he doubled over in pain.

He couldn’t hide that one.

His dad and Mateo rushed to his side, the first ones to see him go down.

“TK? TK!”

He was hyperventilating and curling in on himself, clutching his head- trying to drown out the noise which only aggravated the splitting headache. “Dad, Dad, I can’t, my- I can’t-”

“Just take a deep breath, you have to communicate with me.” Owen said, as calm as he could manage.

“My eyes,” TK finally manages to get out. He had had migraines before, none this extreme, and none that made the vision in his right eye start to fade before him. “Dad, I can’t see out of my right eye,” TK said in between panicked breaths.

Terror was spreading through Owen, but he had to keep his cool. “Mateo- you go get Judd and tell him to lead the call, we have to get a truck out there to answer the 9-1-1 call. I’ll stay here with TK.”

He moved his son into a sitting position and looked into his eyes, assessing the damage.

“What happened?”

TK flinched away from the light. “Just a bad migraine I think...”

“How’d it get this bad? Didn’t you get any warning signs?” Owen interrogated him, already figuring the answer. He knew his son.

TK avoided his fathers gaze. “Maybe. I don’t know. Kinda.” TK paused to gather up his thoughts, and Owen didn’t stop him. “I wasn’t actually feeling all that good today. Pretty nauseous. Coughing. Overall….Sick-like, symptoms...” TK spared a glance at his father to see a disappointed gaze.

“TK… Why didn’t you come to me? You could have asked off work? You don’t have to be so defiant about these things... You don’t have to work yourself until passing out, that’s not how we do things here.”

“I know, I know. I just… I didn’t want to be sick. I know it’s stupid. But. Ever since..It’s really so, stupid- but ever since you got sick, I’ve just been extra paranoid about it all.” TK fumbled with his fingernails, his face suddenly very hot.

“TK...” his Dad put his arm around his back and pulled him into a tight embrace. “you have nothing to worry about. That was a completely different situation. Right now, let’s get you some ibuprofen and some water so you don’t _actually_ pass out on us. Okay?”

“Hmmhm,”

...

“Feeling better now, actually?” Carlos asked as they were curled up for a movie, Buttercup sleeping on top of TK.

“Yes, _actually_. Vision came back, which is good. And hey, Carlos... Sorry for not telling you the truth earlier. I didn’t even really want to admit it to myself.”

Carlos sighed. “You gotta keep better care of yourself Strand! I am glad you’re feeling better, though.” he said, while ruffling the hair between Buttercup’s ears.

The whole rest of his shift off with his two favorite people and a movie...TK was realizing that maybe being sick has it’s perks after all.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! <3


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